Wagers
by ElvenPrincessOfNarnia- Kate
Summary: Elrond arrives in Mirkwood, only to find that certain elves (Legolas, Haldir, and Thranduil) have made silly bets with other people. One in particular spans two realms... Thranduil and Loki have switched crowns! Pure fluff.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Note: Spoiler alert for "The Terrible Tricksters."_  
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_**Not slash. Never, ever, ever slash!**_

**Just a fun fic I thought of while musing over Thranduil and Loki's similarities. Mostly their elaborate head pieces. Pure fluff.**

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Elrond dismounted slowly from his horse and looked around the courtyard. All around him, the elves of Mirkwood, formerly Greenwood, stared back at him. It was a bit unsettling, to say the least.

"Lord Elrond!" Elrond barely had enough time to react before a blue blur smashed into him, hugging him tightly.

"Good to see you too, Legolas." Elrond gritted his teeth, trying to pry the blond elf off him.

"How are Elladan and Elrohir?" Legolas smiled, looking at his almost-adoptive father.

"Fine, fine." Elrond grumbled, giving up on getting Legolas off him. Legolas squeezed even tighter, cutting the air off from his lungs. "Please get off me. Now."

Legolas reluctantly released him.

"You've never liked hugs." Elrond commented, massaging his bruised ribs.

Legolas shrugged. "Last year, Haldir dared me to hug everyone who arrives in the Greenwood. He wagered his bow against mine that I could not do it."

"I see." Elrond mused. "How is it going?"

Legolas shrugged again. "Fine, I suppose, if hugging everyone is considered a good thing. Yesterday, I hugged Lord Cirdan. I do not think he appreciated it."

Elrond chuckled. Lord Cirdan was an extremely stolid, aloof elf who definitely did _not _appreciate hugs. Of any kind. Elrond would have given anything to see his old friend's face when Legolas hugged him.

"How much longer until the wager ends?" Elrond asked as Legolas led him through the palace halls.

"Only two more weeks." Legolas replied. "Thankfully."

"Lord Elrond!" Haldir called, running over to greet him. "Can I braid your hair?"

Elrond stopped, completely bewildered. Ai Valar, he could already feel a headache coming on him...

Legolas smirked. "As _my_ wager, I dared Haldir to ask every elf who came into the Greenwood if he could braid their hair. Quite a few ladies agreed."

Haldir blushed. "Lord Celeborn almost had a heart attack when I asked him last week. He did not expect that. Lady Galadriel looked as if she wanted my head."

Elrond sighed.

"Lord Elrond!" a voice boomed from inside the throne room.

"_Hir_ Thranduil." Elrond responded, stepping into the room. What he saw next almost made him choke.

Thranduil sat perched on his throne, his royal silver robes billowing out underneath him. But instead of his customary crown made of twisted branches and berries, a peculiar green and gold horned helmet graced his head.

"What in _Arda_ are you wearing, Thranduil?" Elrond snapped, feeling slightly faint and nauseous.

Thranduil grimaced. "Loki Odinson of Asgard dared me to wear his crown for the next five years. In return, he agreed to wear my assortment of circlets and crowns for the next five years as well. I wagered a chest of precious gems against a chest of Asgardian weapons."

Elrond could feel his head pounding already.

"Whatever possessed you to do this?" he sputtered.

Thranduil raised one eyebrow. Normally, it would have looked intimidating, but under the green and gold helmet, it looked slightly ridiculous.

"I was bored." he whispered, reminding Elrond of the look Elladan and Elrohir had every time they were caught playing a prank on someone.

"Ai Valar, _mellon-nin_. Ai Valar." Elrond muttered, rubbing his forehead.

** XxXxX**

Thor strode into the throne room of Asgard carrying Mjolnir. When he reached the foot of the throne, his heart almost stopped.

"What are you wearing, brother?" he demanded, almost dropping his hammer on his foot.

Loki smirked slightly. "One of King Thranduil's crowns."

"Take it off. You look ridiculous." Thor snapped.

Loki looked offended. "I think the antler-spike-things are a stroke of genius." he said and reached up to stroke it. He swore when he nicked his finger on one of the sharp edges.

"Are they- sharp?" Thor asked.

Loki held up a bleeding finger.

Thor sighed.

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Translation of Elvish Words:

_Hir:_ lord

_Arda:_ the Elven name for Middle-Earth

_Mellon-nin_: my friend

_Ai Valar_: means something like "Oh lord", used to express frustration (*cough* Elrond *cough*)


End file.
